A Trip down Memory Lane

HappyLady Level 1

October 23, 2018, 10:49 am

37

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A Trip down Memory Lane

My Dad refuses to let us in to the bathroom unless we sit, still in the dark. Over the bath he has suspended a washing line with mum's pegs dotted along. It awaits the mysterious and magical transformation he is about to perform. First, there is work to be done with bottles and a tray and a strange contraption, large and with an arm. To this day, I have no idea what it is, but somehow at some point all the work ends in a row of stiff looking papers hanging from the line. Eventually, overnight, I think, they turn into pictures. Photos of us on holiday and other stuff that took his fancy. The best of all was a cartwheel in a field. He had it in a frame for years. Black and white, of course, but just before he lost all his ability to move his hands He painted a picture from the photo. Really, it is amazing to think how far things have progressed from the time when to get the photo you had to chuck the family out of the bathroom. I believe all the equipment is still in the cupboard in my parental home and do wonder if it would be useable today.

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

The equipment might be rusty depending on the time when it was used last and the condition it was at then. If you still have access to it, you should just get it out and see whether it's still in good shape to be used again or whether it needs to be tuned up for new task.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

My Dad is pretty much paraplegic and descending into dementia, so maybe this would be worth thinking about. I do not have the skills to use the equipment, but showing and talking about it might prerk him up a bit.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I'm so sorry to hear about your father's condition, it's not easy seeing our loved ones deteriorate right in front of our faces without having the power to help them out. Seriously, I hate this dementia sickness because within some time, the patient suffering from it will become blank in the mind with few or zero memories. It's such a shame.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

I grew up with it. At least, I did from the age of 12 when the MS appeared to take hold. Now the dementia is kicking in it is so hard as part of it seems to include my dad being in a world where he is stuck and cannot move but back in the time when he could. He thinks often that he is in a field and cannot move. The truth is he is in bed and cannot move.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I agree with you. Pictures of the past gives us good memories. You can either laugh or cry when you remember the things that have happened in the past.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

Times have changed so much. I remember at high school we had photography classes where we also had to go to a darkroom in order to process and develop the pictures. These days I can't imagine school students doing that at all, since digital photography tends to be the norm these days over film.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

It is true. The kids these days have it very easy where photography is concerned. I wonder though if there are any retro photography classes out there. Maybe this is an avenue someone would persue, although getting hold of the equipment might be hard. I wonder what that sort of stuff fetches at auction. Finding out would I guess, show if there is a market for the course. (Not that I could do it!)

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. Technology made the lives of kids in school these days. Yet, we still can hear and see students complain about the hardships. Well, they don't know how harder it was for us back in the days.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

Kids of today may never know what it was really like to go through such process just to develop a quality photo. The whole process is so tedious, and yet there is the possibility that you are developing a not-so-well-captured/shot of a photo. That is why, a photographer's skill is really valuable those days since they don't have the preview of what they are shooting, and yet was able to produce great photos.

Nevertheless those long wait and tedious process of making the photo, are what made you love the photo more.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

Those days people really do have skills in photography since the whole process is trial and error. These days we can easily fix a photo using an editing software.

I still prefer the long process no matter how tedious it is.

I remember my brother buying a film camera, but these days it's so hard to find a shop willing to process them.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

Well with the technology today with filters and all, you could seldom find a real picture taken in its natural beauty.

From where I come from there are still a few who process such films. They used to be a large photo shop with general merchandise of Fuji films and Kodak. They switched into printing albums now, but they still do process films. They are a bit pricey but I'd say just about right considering the process. Their customers are often enthusiasts of old Cameras.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

Natural beauty on a photo is rare these days. Seems almost everyone looks different on photos now.

And that's good to know that there's still a shop out there that still process films and such. I hope that their shop flourish and get more customers.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

I agree. especially now that every other phone models of every brand boast on their filters in videos and photos. I think that photography have developed a new branch because of this. With the era of mobile photography, almost everyone has become an instant enthusiast of the field. But this branch have flourished with filtered photos. Not that they are not good and all. They are just unrealistic. Not the way of photography before.

I do hope that shop still flourish. Frankly, I am afraid their industry might fade out in the next generations as almost everyone have switched to digital photography.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

That's exactly what I was thinking, it's another branch of photography and cannot in any way be the same as the photography that I know and love. And that is true also, yes it's cute, yes it's eye-catching, but the severe changes it does to a person's looks is ridiculous. And yes it is unrealistic.

That's honestly what I'm afraid of with the rise of everything digital these days, it's sad to think that film processing will be a thing of the past. It's a form of art and it needs to be preserved.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. Developing photos nowadays are easier compared to before. With the help of technology, truly it helped is to make things easier than before. Unlike before that we have to use a black room in order to develop our photos, now, all we have to do it to print it using a printer and with just a matter of minutes, we can get our desired product.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

You better check the equipment and see if you can still use it. Time has passed and you may need to fix it. But whatever the condition of your equipment is, it is great that you still have this as a remembrance.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Memories are made of that. They normally bring with them a feeling of nostalgia. You miss what was there that present activities look dim and just fade in the oblivion. You want to live those good olden days.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Our memories are our best assets to me especially when they are well spend, when you have a wonderful time while growing, nothing pains more than loosing those good old days to an unnecessary illness.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

I live with my parents. Sometimes they tell me their stories from the younger days. One of my favorite is when dad saw mom for the first time. He was visiting my mom's house with his uncle who had a business with mom's mom. My mother was holding a cat. The cat was wearing makeup.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

A cat with makeup? That is weird. Am sure that cat had a purpose too. It united your dad and mom.

My dad told me how he beat up more than ten policemen in a police station. It was not until he was too tired to fight that they finally caught up with him. Amazing!

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Sometimes remembering the good old times gives me a happy nostalgic feel, I would sit back with a cup of coffee smoking a stick of cigarette staring in blank space, just reminiscing about memories of the distant past. So much have progressed since those times and it always bewilders me to think that I'm middle aged now and getting older by the day.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

It is a great feeling i also agree. It makes you wonder how the world got to the place that it is at the moment in time and what it would look like if there were no innovations like the ones that have been witnessed. I also tend to wonder at certain moments what is next in the innovation line and how great and different it will make the world.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Yes, you are right. It must be a great feeling especially when you become old. It will be very lovely to reminisce the old days and just laugh about the things that made you frustrated or angry about before.

6 years ago

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beerthooyah

beerthooyah

We got many photos when we were kids which was taken by my father. My father loves to takes photos of us his children back then when cameras are still using film to capture photos. Those photos are still in possession and in the old family photo album in my parents house. Reading this post has given somewhat of a mix feeling of sadness and happiness. Time pass by really past and my Dad is old now, reminiscing old memories from childhood gives me a nostalgic feeling and I do want to go back in those days.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

You are lucky to have those photos. We too used have some old albums but one unfortunate flood and we lost most of them. The ones that we still have have blotches and blurred images on the sides. We decided to digitalize them still as they were the only ones left to remind us of our younger days.

6 years ago

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teremisuu

teremisuu

I feel you! My parents took so many photos of us when we were younger, and I would always wonder how they felt when taking those pictures. Now it's our turn to take the pictures, as our parents are already old. It's all a mixture of nostalgia, even sadness. Sometimes I wish that I could spend time with my parents outside to take pictures; they spend all of their time now at home.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

I once saw a movie where people were relying on such traditional means of printing or rather painting pictures and it was something I could not understand clearly. I actually thought they were washing the pictures and it is only after I see a documentary on it that I can understand the whole process well.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

These are memories that are really nice to go back to. I did not learn how to produce photos in a dark room. Only see them in movies but I am amazed of the process. You may want to check your father's equipment out. It will surely bring happy memories to him.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

My late grandad used to do that, but the thing is that the story was told my dad as we were not born then. I heard that some of his equipments weekend buried with him as that was the special request he made before he kicked the bucket.

6 years ago

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cmoneyspinner

cmoneyspinner

You really had me going. LOL. I have to laugh at myself. For a minute I was thinking: 'Why would anybody's dad not allow them to be in the bathroom unless it was dark?' My mind was really taking me away. I was thinking: 'Is it a strange Halloween ritual?' I'm glad I read the discussion all the way through. Speaking of memory lane ~ since I am really no good at taking pictures ~ I remember when a Polaroid camera that took instant pictures was the best thing anyone could ever get as a Christmas present. It was so much fun! Just snap the camera and in a minute a photograph would come out! So cool!

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

Oh LOL. I forgot about Halloween. I had one of those Polaroids. Now I am wondering where all the photos went. It was fun when the picture appeared. In a way, I can see the market for a revival as this is one thing a digital camera cannot do. I wonder if they ever will? Or, have I missed something?

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I miss getting my photos developed. In the old days or about 20 years ago, before the advent of Digital cameras. I use to bring my film which where called negatives then to a photo shop, to get it developed, and after a day or two, I would come back to claim the developed photos. I remember meeting someone special in such a place, going to the Photoshop is like going to a video shop where i rent out video tapes. Sometimes it's can be a good venue to meet new friends.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

There was always something very exciting about getting the photos fromm the shop, but usually, in my case, then the photos themselves looked dreadful.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

One thing that I have understood with our parents is that they always want to keep things. Such is the story of my grandma that the plates that she has been using for a long period of time is there for us to take a look at and see how funny that it is look. I always see how serious her face is when we want to throw away some of those things.

6 years ago

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teremisuu

teremisuu

I feel the same, also I think keeping things that we can still use saves money, I guess. Also maybe it's because of the feeling of sentimentality. Personally, I am trying to be a minimalist, so I don't think I would want to keep or inherit most of my parents' things. I guess I'll just ask my siblings to keep them.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

Wow. Your dad must have be a very good Photographer. Back then it really takes discipline to be able to produce quality photos, especially in developing them. You are very lucky to have such experience.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I appreciate how your father exert effort in order to develop your photos. He proved that hard work will pay off in the future as you now had it as your remembrance back to your old days. Even though technology nowadays made developing of photos much easier than before, nothing could still beat the photos that were developed from a black room.

6 years ago

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